Deposition of electrically conductive polymers

Abstract

There is described a method for the vapour phase deposition of an intrinsically conducting polymer onto a substrate, which method comprises providing a precursor for the polymer and coupling the precursor together to form the required polymer, wherein the precursor is provided in the form of an atomised spray and substrates produced by such methods.

1 . A method for the vapour phase deposition of an intrinsically conducting polymer onto a substrate comprising providing a precursor for the polymer and coupling the precursor together to form the required polymer, wherein the precursor is provided in neat form and, for the coupling step, the precursor is supplied in the form of an atomised spray. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the atomised spray consists essentially of droplets, wherein the droplet size of the precursor in the atomised spray is about 1 micron to 200 microns average diameter of droplet. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the droplet size of the precursor in the atomised spray is 10 to 50 microns average diameter of droplet. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the atomised spray is formed by an ultrasonic nozzle operating at a high frequency vibration of about 15 kHz to 200 kHz. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the flow rate of the precursor through the nozzle is about 1 μL s −1  to 1 mL s −1 . 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vapour phase deposition is carried out at a sub atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the sub atmospheric pressure is about 0.001 mbar to 500 mbar. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling of the precursor is effected by means of an active agent and the active agent is in the vapour phase under the conditions in which the coupling is carried out. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling is oxidative coupling effected by means of an oxidizing agent. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the oxidizing agent is an anhydride. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of trifluoroacetic anhydride, acetic anhydride, heptafluorobutyric anhydride, pentafluoropropionic anhydride and trifluoromethane sulfonic acid anhydride. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the oxidizing agent is trifluoromethane sulfonic acid anhydride (triflic anhydride). 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the intrinsically conducting polymer is a polypyrrole, a polythiophene, a polyalkylthiophene, a polyacetylene, a poly(phenylene vinylene), a poly(phenylene sulfide), a polyflourene, a polyphenylene, a polypyrene, a polyazulene, apolynaphthalene, a polycarbazole, a polyindole, a polyazepine, a polyaniline or a copolymer thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the intrinsically conducting polymer is a polypyrrole, a polythiophene, a polyalkylthiophene or a copolymer thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the intrinsically conducting polymer is poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and the precursor is 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT). 
     
     
         16 . A method for vapour phase deposition of intrinsically conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) onto a substrate comprising providing 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene as a precursor for the polymer, and chemically coupling the precursor to form the required polymer by oxidative coupling using an oxidizing agent, wherein the 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene precursor is provided in neat form and, for the coupling step, the 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene precursor is supplied in the form of an atomised spray. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the oxidizing agent is triflic anhydride. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the triflic anhydride is in the vapour phase under the conditions in which the method is carried out. 
     
     
         19 . A method for the vapour phase deposition of an intrinsically conducting polymer onto a substrate comprising providing a precursor for the polymer and coupling the precursor together to form the required polymer by means of an active agent, wherein the active agent is triflic anhydride. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the intrinsically conducting polymer is poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and the precursor is 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT). 
     
     
         21 . (canceled)